Rosenthal, David Augustus, Dr

Rosenthal, David Augustus, Dr., a German writer of ecclesiastical history, was born of Jewish parentage at Neisse, in Silesia, in the year 1812. Having finished his preparatory studies at the gymnasium, he entered the University of Breslau for the study of medicine. After having been promoted as doctor of medicine, he settled at Breslau, and in 1851, together with his family, became a member of the Roman Catholic Church. As a member of that Church he was especially active in ameliorating the Catholic press and societies of Silesia. He also distinguished himself as an author by editing the poetical works of Angelus Silesius, better known as Scheffler (1862, 2 vols.), but more especially by the publication of his Convertitenbilder aus dem 19. Jahrhundert (5 vols.). Rosenthal died March 29, 1875. His Convertitenbilder, or biographical sketches of converts to the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century, are a very important contribution to Church history, in which the lives of Jews and Protestants are described who joined the Romish Church in our century. The first volume (Schaffhausen, 1871-72) treats of the converts in Germany; the second, of those of England; the first division of the third (1869), of those of France and America; the second division of the third (1870) is devoted to Russia, besides giving a supplement to the former volumes. See the Literarischer Handweiser, 1875, p. 120. (B.P.)